Positioned between the mega "event" races that draw legions of runners and the "boutique" marathons attracting a few hundred, Philadelphia is what I consider an ideal size, with a field of around 5,000, meaning no sardine-can shuffle for the opening stretches but no fighting the loneliness of the long distance runner in the final miles, when camaraderie can often spell the difference between finishing well and not finishing at all.

The race’s date, the Sunday before Thanksgiving, is another plus. Besides providing a few additional weeks of training time over many other fall marathons (as well as allowing the race to act as a backup if an earlier race goes bad), the weather is generally ideal, averaging between 40 and 50 degrees.

The logistics are another attraction. It’s one of the few big marathons you can register for the day before the race, so you can wait until the absolute last minute to determine your fitness and the weather. (I know some might question such lack of advance commitment, but with marathon entry fees approaching the triple-figure range I’d rather save my money than run through illness or injury just to avoid wasting my investment.) And with many hotels located within walking distance of the start/finish in front of the Art Museum (no, you don’t have to run up the steps like Rocky Balboa) you can leave for the race minutes, rather than hours, before the gun goes off.

This is the 10th edition of the current incarnation of the Philadelphia Marathon, although 26 milers have been held in the City of Brotherly Love with varying courses and organization since the first "Running Boom" of the early 70s. Ken Young of the Analytical Distance Runner cites Philadelphia in his list of long-running marathons, and no less than Bill Rodgers won his first race at the distance here, the year before his 1975 Boston breakout.

By and large the course is generally flat, with only a few hills between miles 8 and 10, and a gradual rise to the turnaround at 20. Otherwise, the downtown and stretches along the Schuylkill River are conducive to good times (the top five women got Olympic Trials qualifiers this year). The course tours the downtown and historic districts of the city for its first third, then spends its remaining miles in Fairmount Park, the largest city park in the world.

In light of the growing field, organizers tweaked the course this year, eliminating the opening loop of the Ben Franklin Parkway and the danger of lapping. The distance was made up with detours through Chinatown and Society Hill, showcasing even more of a city that gracefully combines Colonial history and 21st-century commerce. The route highlights almost all the city’s landmarks, save the Italian Market in South Philly, and manages to avoid urban blight. And while the crowds won’t rival Boston or New York in numbers, their enthusiasm makes up for their smaller size.

The course layout brings you back by the start/finish around 14 miles, and the remaining out-and-back stretch along Kelly Drive can be a double-edged sword. You know that each step heading to the turnaround in Manayunk must be covered in reverse, and it’s potentially discouraging to see faster runners heading for the finish when you’re still on the way out. But generally, there’s a great deal of mutual encouragement that occurs, and for diversion, you can always pace yourself off one of the many crew shells plying the adjacent Schuylkill.

I ran my first marathon in Philadelphia (the now-defunct Penn Relays Marathon) and have run probably half of my subsequent races there. Having spent much of my college time training on the banks of the Schuylkill, I know virtually every foot of the race’s last half, but I find such familiarity breeds confidence, rather than contempt. So perhaps I’m biased when I rate Philadelphia as my favorite marathon, or maybe I just know a good thing when I’ve found it. Obviously, with a slowly but steadily growing field and reputation, a lot of other runners do to.

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